Wild animal attack on forest fringe villages causes concern

Madakasira (Anantapur): Incidents of wild animals particularly panthers and wild bears straying into the fringe villages of reserve forest ranges have become a matter of concern for people and the Forest department.

Highlights:

• Panther and wild bears strays into the vicinity of fringe villages when they find sheep and goat camping in open fields
• Villagers seek forest personnel to post a rescue team in the mandal to push straying animals into interior hilly areas

In the recent past there were reports of wild animals infringing on human habitations in Madakasira, Rayadurgam, Uravakonda and Kalyandurgam areas. Forest Rescue Team personnel captured a panther near a fringe village near Rayadurgam.

In Madakasira and Rolla mandals, there are several reports of wild bear injuring people and even creating a fear psychosis in the villages of Jilledugunta, C Rangapuram, Yeduladdi, H R Puram, Goudamhalle, Jammanahalle, G G Halle and other villages which are on the Karnataka border. One person named Chatram was injured in a bear attack on July 1 and on July 2, another Gopala Krishna of C Rangapuram was said to be injured in a bear attack.

On Thursday night, a wild bear created a fear psychosis in Jammanapalle and G G Halle and fled after a commotion.
Viswanath Naik of Halle village told 'The Hans India' that the wild bears were straying into the fringe villages for food and water.

The Forest department need to arrange multiple water tubs for the animals and also fill the tubs with tanker water if need be to prevent animals from disturbing human habitations. Rama Naik and Krishna Naik of Gullapalem village appealed to the forest personnel to post a Rescue Team in the mandal so that they could push straying animals into interior hilly areas.

Except bison and tigers, the reserve forest is home to many wild animals including wild boars, black bugs, spotted deers, panthers, hynas, neelgas, foxes, wild dogs, reptiles and peacocks etc. The forest officials are of the view that it is not wild animals straying into human habitations but humans straying into wild life corridors is the crux of the issue. Panthers love to feast on even dogs which keep a watch over a herd of sheep etc.

The fringe villages are located in all the six forest ranges of Kalyandurgam, Bukkapatnam, Anantapur, Penukonda, Kadiri and Gooty. There are 70 forest beat officers trying to balance wild life and human life by imposing restrictions on movements as well as preventing unfriendly actions of human beings.

Massive awareness of people living in fringe villages and even threats of booking people indulging in mischievous forest fires by careless men under PD Act also effectively checked migration of animals on insecurity grounds. Poisoning of animals by insecure men was also effectively checked by forest personnel.

District Forest Officer (DFO) A Chandrasekhar told 'The Hans India' that awareness had has been created in 375 fringe villages in the 6 forest ranges in the district on ending forest fires, on ways and means of diverting wild animals from human habitations, organising of water tubs, recharging of water tanks in reserve forests and by making drinking water available to animals and making grazing sheep and goats invisible to wild animals as far as possible.

A Rescue Team of the Forest department also drives straying wild animals deep into the forest. The DFO said that fencing of livestock is one option to save sheep from wild animal attack. The department is paying compensation to crop damages and physical injuries caused to human beings and for livestock killed by wild animals.

Last year, Rs 15 lakh was paid as compensation. This year an amount of Rs 30 lakh is set apart for compensation payment and there are already claims for Rs 20 lakh, he added. Kala Jatras were pressed into service to create awareness on forest fires and on ways and means of tackling wild animal attack.

By Ravi P Benjamin